Trough for fish-hatcheries.



F. PARRY.

ITROUGH FOR FISH EATCHBRIES. APPLIOATION FILED Dnc. 5, 1910.

Patented 0ct.31,1911.

WITNESSES:

COLUMBIA PLANonRAPH C0.,wAsHlNaToN, D. C.

UN1TED STATES PATENT FFCE.

FRANK PAB/BY, OF BRIGHTWATER, BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA.

TRO'UGH FOP. FISH-HATCHERIES.

Application filed December 5, 1910.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK PARRY, a subject of the King of Great Britain,and a resident of Bright-water, in the Province of British Columbia andDominion of Canada, have invented a new and Improved Trough for Fish-Hatcheries, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription.

Among the principal object-s which the present invention has in vieware: to rovide means for subjecting the fry while in the trough to theaction of flowing water, while preventing the same from passing throughthe trough; to provide means for causing the water in the incubationtrbugh to iiow upward therefrom to lift the fry; and to provide meansfor mechanically altering the direction of the current flow in saidtrough.

One embodiment of the present invention is disclosed in the structureillustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which like characters ofreference denote corresponding parts in all the views, and in which-Figure 1 is a'vertical section taken on the line 1-1 in Fig. 3, of ahatchery trough constructed and arranged in accordance with the presentinvention; Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken on the line 2 2 in Fig. 3,of a trough constructed and arranged in accordance with the presentinvention; and Fig. 3isalongitudinal horizontal view taken on the line3-3 in Fig. 2.

The present invention is complementary to and relates to an applicationfor patent filed by me the second day of May, 1910, bearing the SerialNumber 559,031, for improvements in a process and apparatus for thepropagation of fish, to which application cross reference is here made.

The hatchery is usually provided with a series of troughs 8, 8, whichare elongated and adapted to receive a series of baskets of thecharacter and construction set forth in the companion application abovereferred to. These baskets, as shown in the accompanying drawings, areindicated by the let ter A. The rims of the said baskets are so formedas to rest on the upper edge of the vertical sides of the said troughs.In this manner the bottoms of the baskets are pre! vented from touchingthe screens 9, 9 with which the troughs are provided. At the lower endof each trough there is provided an upright circulation pipe 10. Thepipe 10 is open at both ends, and is extended Specoaton of LettersPatent.

Patented Oct. 31, 1911.

serial No. 595,641.

above a perforation 11 formed in the screen bottom 9. At the end of thetrough is a partition 12. The partition 12 has horizontally disposedopenings which are covered wit-h a cage or slatted shutter 13. When theshutter 13 is suitably disposed the circulation of water throughout thelength of ea ch of the said troughs is uninterrupted, and may passdirect to an overfiow pipe 14, which is connected with a waste of anysuitable character. `Whenever the shutter 13 is closed it is then thatthe water, in passing out of a trough, is compelled to pass upwardthrough the circulation pipe 10.

At the end opposite that having` the circulation pipe 10 and theoverflowV pipe 14 there is provided a iixed partition 15. The partition15 is provided with horizontal openings 16 which are adapted to beclosed by a slatted shutter 17 resembling in construction the shutter 13at the opposite end of the said trough. The bottom 9 upon which the saidpartitions 12 and 15 are supported, is in turn supported upon aseries ofblocks or partitions 18, 18. The partitions 18 are perforated to formchannels 19 through which the water received from the supply pipe 20 maypass along the bottom of the trough uninterrupted. The partitions 18 areprovided with gates 21, 21,

which gates are hingedly mounted at 22,

22 and are provided with rod handles 23, the upper ends whereof areweighted balls 24.. The handles 23 are extended between the outer wallsof the troughs and the inner walls 25 thereof. Extended from each of thepartitions 18 upward betwe-en the outer wall and the inner wall 25 arepartitions 26, 26. The partitions 26 are disposed substantially asshown-in Fig. 2 of the drawings, and are arranged to prevent the flow ofwater between the said inner wall 25 and the outer wall of the trough.

When in operation of the trough it becomes desirable to cause the waterto flow upward through the screen bottom 9 in any of the sections of thesaid trough, this is accomplished by throwing the handle 23 and ball 24thereon to the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2. rlhisarrangement closes the gate 21 over the channel 19 in the said sectionof the trough, causing the water flowing into the said section from thepreceding section to pass up over the partition 18, which is thusclosed. To do this the water is gently but positively lifted upward fromthe bottom E). This operation prevents the accumulation of sediment, andalso prevents the smothering of the fi'y incident to the massingthereof.

On the side of the trough opposite that provided with the inner wall 25,and below the bottom 9 of the said trough, is formed lengthwise of thesaid trough a` low partition 27. The partition 2T, together with thebottom 9 and the bottom of the trough structure, forms an open channel`Il() connecting the chambers 2S and 29 which are formed at the ends ofthe trough by the partitions 12 and 17 respectively. The chamber 28 isthat wherein is disposed the circulation pipe 10 and the overliow pipe14:.

The operation of the channel 30 formed by the partition 27 is to reversethe How of water in the trough. Under normal conditions, when theshuttles 123 and 17 are raised, the flow of the water is toward theoverflow pipes 14, 14 and throughout the trough in that direction.lVhen, however, the shutter 13 is closed and the shutter 17 is open, andthe gates 21, 21 are closed, the exit of the water from the main body ofthe trough is compelled to be through the channel 30, the water enteringfrom the body of the trough into the chamber 28. This results in acurrent of the water in the body of the trough toward the chamber 29,the reverse of the How of current normally established. in the body ofthe said trough. The water supply of the said trough is normallydelivered from the supply pip-e 207 through flexible pipes 31, 31,which, in accordance with a system of propagation invented by me, isintroduced upon pans disposed above the hatchery baskets A, A, when thesame are suspended in the said trough. At each end of the trough,interposed between the main body of the trough and the partitions 12 and15 are vertically disposed screens 32, The screens 32, are preferablyconstructed of material similar to the bottom 9, the perforations inboth being sufliciently small to prevent the passage through theinterstices thereof of the fish ova or fry It will be seen that. bymanipulating the gates 21, 21 and the shutters 13 and 17, the water inthe troughs, when constructed in accordance with the present invention,may be caused to flow upward through the bottom 9 or downwardtherethrough, as desired, and also that the current of the water may bechanged to flow from one end to the other end of the trough as and whendesired.

Each of the baskets A is 'provided with an open bottom, the edges of theopenings whereof are upturned and converged at the top to receive theframe or sides of an egg tray 34. The egg trays 3ft are provided withframes or sides having double wedgelike extensions in cross section.Each of the upper extensions is converged to tit in the junction of theupper and lower sections of the siiperposed tray. ln this manner thetrays are each provided of the same dimensions and held in the nestedposition substantially as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings.. lrt will beobserved that the edges of each lower tray in supporting an upper traycovers as little area as possible, thereby avoiding the destruction ofsmall fish or fry which otherwise might rest between the said trays if aledge was provided.

The trays 34, 34- are provided with perforated bottoms 35, B5 adapted toreceive in supported relation thereon the eggs which vare deposited, asshown, in the upper tray, in said F ig. 1. Superposed upon the open topof the basket A is a tray 3G, having` supporting margins 37 which restupon the upper rim of the basket, substantially as shown in said Fig. l.

At the hatching period the shells can be removed without the use of afeather, which is a slow and tedious method and a source of loss throughrupture of the yoke-sac, by the upward flow of water through theperforated bottom, which lifts the shells clear of the fish. They arethen carried by the current in the body of the trough through thescreen-gate at either end of the trough.

Having thus described my invention, what l claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is 1. A trough for fish hatcheries, comprisingan elongated box-like structure having a water holding bottom,perforated bottom suspended above the bottom of said boxlike structureto form an elongated space therebetween, the perforations in saidperforated bottom being sufficiently small to prevent the passage offish ova or fry and a plurality of gates pivotally mounted at intervalsin the said space between the said bottoms, said gates being adapted todivert the water flowing through said space upward through saidperforated bot-tom.

2. ri trough for fish hatcheries, comprising an elongated box-likestructure having a water holding bottom; a perforated. bottom suspendedabove the water holding bottom to form a passage therebetween; aplurality of gates pivotally mounted at intervals in the space betweensaid bottoms to divert the water flowing therebetween upward throughsaid perforated bottom; and means extending from said trough foroperating said gates.

3. A trough for fish hatcheries, comprising an elongated box-like troughhaving a water holding bottom; a perforated bottom suspended above saidwater holding bottom to form a space therebetween, a plurality of gatespivotally mounted at intervals in the said space, said gates beingadapted to divert the water flowing therethrough upward from saidperforated bottom; and a plurality of partitions arranged to formVertical channels disposed at the sides of said trough and opening intosaid trough below the said perforated bottom and between said gates.

t. A trough for fish hatcheries, comprising an elongated box-likestructure having a water holding bottom; a perforated bottom suspendedabove the water holding bottom to form a space therebetween; a pluralityof gates pivotally mounted at intervals in the space below saidperforated bottom, adapted to divert the water flowing therethroughupward through said perforated bottom; vertical perforated partitionsdisposed near the ends of said box-like structure to form endcompartments therein, the perfor-ations of said bottom being adapted toprevent the passage of fish ova or fry and overflow devices mounted inone of said compartments for determining the depth of water in saidbox-like structure.

5. A trough for fish hatcheries comprising an elongated box-likestructure having a water holding bottom; a perforated bottom suspendedabove the water holding bottom to form a space therebetween; a pluralityof gates pivotally mounted at intervals in the space below saidperforated bottom adapted to divert the water flowing therethroughupward through said perforated bottom; vertical partitions disposed nearthe ends of said box-like structure to form end compart? ments;perforated screens disposed in said trough near the ends thereof,adapted to prevent the passage of fish fry therethrough; overflowdevices mounted in one of said end compartments for determining thedepth of water in said box-like structure; and closure shutters mountedon said partitions to prevent the longitudinal flow of the water throughsaid partitions.

6. A trough for fish hatcheries, comprising an elongated box-likestructure having a water holding bottom; a perforated bottom suspendedabove the water holding bottom to form a passage therebetween; aplurality of gates pivotally mounted at intervals in the passage betweenthe said bottoms to divert the water flowing therethrough upward fromsaid perforated bottom; a plurality of partitions disposed near the endsof said box-like structure to form end compartments therein; gates foropening and closing said partitions to permit the flow of watertherethrough; and an open ended conduit connecting the said endcompartments.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specication in the presence oftwo subscribing witnesses.

FRANK PARRY. lVitnesses:

WILLIAM JAMES SIM, JOHN KIRKPATRICK.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

